Dredge-bucket.



No. 857,396. PATBNTED JUNE 18, 1907.

I. B. HAMMOND.

DRBDGE BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1907.

rs o his No. stress.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 21%,

Application filed February 12,.l907; Serial Ho. 366,946.

To all; whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lsAAo B. HAMMOND, a citizen of the United States,residing et Portland, in the county of Multnomeh end 5 State of Oregon,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dredge-Buckets, ofwhich the following is. a, specification.

My invention relates to improvement in the construction of dredgebuckets of the type which in practice are mounted in an endless chain totravel longitudinally about a dredge ladder and dig as they near the endof their outward course and dump their contents at the end of theirinward course.

Much difficulty has been exnericnced hitherto in .the operation ofdredges of this class, when digging clay or material of s clayey natureon account'of the failure of the uckets .to discharge their contents. esThe sticky nature of the materiel often ceuses it to adhere sotenscionsly to the in- I nor surfaces of the buckets that it will notfree itself by its own Weight when the buckets are 'overturined. 'Myobject is to overcome clificulty by ,providing the buckets of a,construction winch renders them self-claiming us they upset in passingover the end of the dredge ladder. lnthe sccom shying dro'winglhsveshown 3, only-cs0 h e o dredge of the Well known trsveling ticket typeto illustrate the preferredconstruction and mode of operation of myimproved selficlcsning bucket.

I Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is s. broken longitudinal sectionof the upger,

pivoted' en portion of a swin dre ladder, with my im rovem'ents gildedthereto; and Fig: 2 a plan view of my improved bucket. y

In practice, the ladder-frame 3 my be pivctedst its up or end upon a.drive-shaft 4,

which is 'ourns ed in the main frame, not,

shown, 0 the dredge, end csrries s pair of similar chain-drivingtumblers 5, all the parts mentioned bein of well known construction.Esch bucket 6 is of outwardly flexing shape reinforced with e cuttingedge plate endhalving a. bsse'or bottom 8. Extending spproximotely thefull length of each bucket and firmly secured thereto are parallel beck;word extending lugs 9 held between compenion links 10 of parallelendless chains. The links 10 are pivotelly connected at theiroppositeends by means of pins 13 110 similar forced bodily outward,against the resistance links 11 carrying flangedplstes or overflow trays12, as shown. In each bucket is s plunger or felse-bottorn 15 on the endof a. curved chennel bar or lever 16. The lever at its op" osite end ispivoted upon a, pin 17 psssin t ough bearing cars 18 on the book of theucket; and between its ends the lever gasses through a slot or opening19 in the ask of the bucket near the base. A spring 20 confined betweenthe lever and heels of the bucket tends normally to press the levcroutward, at its curved ortion, and thus force the pl er or fulseottom 15against the base 8. ounmd on acentrel extension 21 of the ladder is sroller 22 forming o. shoulder in the path of the levers 1.6 to engageand swing them against the resistance of their springs as the bucketsare upset in passing over the tumblers. u

In operation, as a bucket with its contents moves around the dischargeend, of the ladder shown, contact of a lever 16 with the roller 22causes the lever to be swung on its pivot, as stated, and force theplunger 01' felse-bottom 15 in the direction of the mouth of the'bucket. This causes the contents to be of any tendencyit may have toadhere to the flexing surfaces of the bucket. -But slight .movement ofthe plunger is necessary to so loosen a. mess of sticky clay that itwill fall biodily from the bucket and leave the letter 0 can.

If desired the spring 20 may be dispensed with, because in the diggingoperation the material enteri the bucket will naturally tend to seat theelse bottom.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a.dredge, the combination with o traveling bucket formed with anoutwardly- 9 5 fisring surrounding wall, of s, bodily-movable,bucket-contents loosening, plunger in the base-portion of the bucketsurrounded by said Well, an actueting lever for the plunger carried bythe bucket, and. c shoulder in the path of travel of the lever, for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a dredge, the combination with a traveling bucket formed with a.bottom and an outwardly flaring surrounding wall, of s bodily-movablebucket-contents loosening, plunger in the baseortion of the bucketsunrounded by said we an actuating lever for the plunger carried by thebucket, audio, shoulder in the path of travel of the lever, for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a dredge, the eoi'nbination of a dredge bucket, movablesprii'ig-returned (liseliarginguneehanism extending into the base)ortion of the bucket, means for moving the bucket to its dischargingposition, and actuating means for said discharging-mechanism in the pathof movement thereof.

4. ln eombination, a traveling and upsetting dredge-bucket; having anoutwardl vl llaring surrounding wall, a movable plunger in. the base ofthe bueket, surrounded by said wall, a eurved lever pivoted at one endto one side. of the buoket outside the same and operatively connected atits opposite end with the plunger, and a shoulder in the path of thecurved portion of the lever, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

5. In combination, a traveling and upset ting dredge-burket, a movableplunger in the base of the bueket, a curved lever pivoted at one end toone side of the bueket and o wratively eonnet-ted at its op )osite endwit 1 the plunger, a spring eonline between the lever and side of thebucket, and a shoulder in the t path of the curved portion of the lever,all ('onstrutted to operate substantially as and l for the purpose setforth.

ISAAC B. HAMMOND. lu presence of:

.I. W. DYRENFORTII, II. E. CoweiLL.

